So, unfortunately this blog has been a little quieter lately than planned! That’s mainly because I changed jobs and moved country. So I’m sitting here writing this blog from my living room in Germany.

Sunday is really the perfect day to blog about a roast. A roast chicken is of course delicious any day, but there’s always been something special about Sunday dinner for me. And, no roast chicken can compare with this one! Every part of it from the veg to the gravy is delicious and you’ll feel like a proper chef after making it!

Veg of your choice (I used celery, carrot, parsnip and red onion but you can also use a pre-prepared soup mix)

Few sprigs of fresh rosemary

For the gravy

250ml white wine (any kind will do!)

500ml chicken stock

You will also need

Olive oil

Tinfoil

A sturdy baking tray, good enough to be used in the oven and on the hob

Another baking tray

Small saucepan

Colander/sieve

To Prepare

Remove chicken from packet. Season well inside and out with black pepper. Cover and return to fridge.

Preheat the oven to 240ºC.

Peel potatoes and half if they are very large. Roughly chop the rest of the veg. Pull the garlic cloves apart but don't peel.

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil for the potatoes.

For the veg and potatoes

Add the potatoes to the boiling water. Add the lemon and about half of the unpeeled garlic cloves. Cook for 12 minutes.

Remove the lemon and garlic and set aside. Drain the water from the potatoes and give them a good toss to get them fluffy. That is what makes the roast potatoes crispy!

Put about half of the veg and the rest of the garlic into a baking tray. Drizzle generously with olive oil.

For the chicken

Remove chicken from fridge and rub with olive oil.

Stab the lemon lots of times. As it's hot, the juice should just ooze out. Push this, the garlic cloves and the thyme and bay leaves into the cavity of the chicken.

Turn the heat in the oven down to 200ºC.

Place the chicken on the bed of vegetables. Cover everything with tinfoil and place in the oven for 45 minutes.

Add the rest of the veg

Baste the chicken with the juices from the pan.

Add the rest of the veg and the potatoes. Add the rosemary now as well. Cover the chicken breast with the bacon. Drizzle over some more olive oil and give everything a good stir.

Put back in the oven for another 45 mins. Adjust the time accordingly if your chicken is bigger/smaller.

Finish the chicken

Take the chicken out of the oven and turn it off.

Remove the chicken from the tray and put it on a chopping board to let it rest. Pull off the wings. Cover the rest loosely in tinfoil. Letting it rest is what keeps it juicy, don't skip this step!

Transfer the veg and potatoes (leaving anything that's burned, stuck or soggy) to another baking tray and pop back in the over to keep warm.

Make the gravy

Put the baking tray on the hob over a high heat. Use a spoon to remove any fat that floats to the surface. Remove the meat from the wings and add to the pan. Mash everything to a pulp. Add a heaped tablespoon of flour and mix well.

Add the white wine and deglaze the pan. Allow the mixture to boil for about 5 minutes.

Drain the mixture through the sieve into the pot.

To serve

Put the warm veg on a plate with some of the chicken. Cover with the delicious gravy and enjoy immediately.